Saturday, January 30, 2016

The mystic of MysterEscape









“The mystic of MysterEscape”
Sun.Star Davao, Jan. 30, 2016

Growing up reading Bobsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and even my dad’s Perry Mason books, I always loved the suspense and mystic of solving a mystery.

So, when my kids and their friends wanted to try MysterEscape for the second time, I wanted to tag along for curiosity’s sake (yeah, right!). At first, I just wanted to quietly “observe” and let the young ones do the mystery-solving, trying to unlock every roomful of challenge. But, ten minutes after, my mommy friend Bobsey and I could not resist and joined in the action too, discovering some clues here and there.

After much intense deciphering and unlocking of codes, we finally broke free from our assigned escape room at exactly 60 minutes. What a thrilling achievement it was for Team Sibs!

Curious about MysterEscape? Let’s snoop around and get to know the brilliant and imaginative minds behind Mindanao’s first ever escape room!

*Who are the people behind MysterEscape?

There are seven people behind MysterEscape: Leilah Alpad (Lei), Ma. Cecilia Zamudio (Ces), Emily Quinton, May Ragudo, Precious Aurea Pojas, Pia Charis Pojas (Pia), and Philip John Pojas.

The barkada originally consisted of the classmates who studied and graduated together from the University of the Philippines in Diliman.  Lei, Ces, Emily, and Precious graduated from the UP College of Business Administration with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accountancy. All of them are Certified Public Accountants (CPA). Precious is a CPA-lawyer. They were later joined by May who is also a CPA and by Pia who is the younger sister of Precious. Philip is the younger brother of Precious and is also a lawyer. He is in the private practice here in Davao City. Except for Pia and Philip, all are based in Manila.

*Why did you decide to open MysterEscape in Davao?

We chose to open MysterEscape in Davao City for three reasons. First, Davao City is the biggest and most populous city in Mindanao. Second, there were no escape rooms in Davao City despite the fact that it is a major city and that several escape rooms have already opened in Metro Manila and in Cebu City. We wanted to be the first to introduce it in Davao City and Mindanao. And third, three members of the barkada (There are six of us) were from Davao City. We felt that Davao City is the most ideal place to open MysterEscape. It is a major city and Dabawenyos are very much sophisticated and fun-loving that they would enjoy the cerebral delights offered by MysterEscape.

*What is an escape room game?

Escape room games are live adventure games wherein people are locked in a room and they have to observe and use the elements of the environment to decipher puzzles, find clues and hidden objects, and escape the room within a set time limit.

Our escape rooms are practically for everybody – it is ideal as a bonding experience for friends or family and is an excellent mode of teambuilding for co-workers or employees. And, the rule of the game is simple: Solve the mystery and escape the room within an hour.

*How is MysterEscape different from the other escape rooms in the country?

MysterEscape is similar to other escape rooms located in Manila in that we all share the escape room concept. But, there ends our similarity.

In other aspects, MysterEscape is totally different. We have unique storylines and puzzles. And, most of all, we are proud to say that MysterEscape delivers quality escape room experience at affordable rates. The average rate offered by other escape rooms is around P400 to P600 per player regardless of the number of players in a room. In MysterEscape, the rate per player changes depending on the number of players. The more players in a room, the cheaper the rate each player needs to pay. For instance, if a group of six persons would play at one of our rooms on a Friday or the weekend, each player need only pay P230. On a weekday, it would only be P180 per player.
     
*Can you explain the concept of each room?

MysterEscape currently has three escape rooms: (1) Secret Agents or Spies on a Mission; (2) Murder at Apartment 999; and (3) Lucila’s Curse.

In Secret Agents or Spies on a Mission, players become secret agents or covert operatives who must infiltrate the den of the most dangerous criminal this world has ever known. They must in one hour locate and steal the secret formula for creating a zombie army that will lead to the zombie apocalypse.

In Murder at Apartment 999, players get to be like Sherlock Holmes as they try to solve the mystery behind the death of a famous model/endorser. They only have one hour to investigate and identify the killer before he or she forever escapes the clutches of the police.

And, lastly in Lucila’s Curse, players find themselves trapped in a haunted house cursed by Lucila’s tormented soul. They have one hour to escape or risk being trapped forever with Lucila.

*What are the mechanics/rules when you enter a MysterEscape room?

Before they can enter the room, players are made to register and sign a waiver form wherein they agree not to disclose game details such as clues, puzzles, and, most especially, the solution to the puzzles.

MysterEscape rooms can be played by a maximum of six persons for a time limit of 60 minutes. There will be an assigned game master who will be in the room along with the players to monitor the game and to assist the players depending on the level of difficulty of the escape room game.

Inside the room, they can touch, hold and examine anything except those with orange tape on them. Those with orange tape means they are fragile and need not be touched or handled.

*What are the levels of difficulty?

Each escape room has three levels of difficulty: Houdini, Difficult, and Easy.

In the Houdini level, players will have no chance to request for clues or assistance from the game master. They get a shot in our Hall of Fame in the event that they are able to escape the room within one hour. All teams start at the Houdini level.

But once the teams are stumped or are unable to move forward in the escape room, they can choose to downgrade to the Difficult level wherein they get two chances to request for clues or assistance.

They can further downgrade to the Easy level which entitles them to three additional clues or assistance from the game master.

However, if you downgrade from the Houdini level, the team will no longer qualify for the Hall of Fame, even if it was able to get out of the room within the allotted time.

*What room do you highly recommend for families to try?

All our rooms are great for families. It just depends on the inclinations and preferences of each family.

Where there are children as young as 8 or 9 years old, we recommend Spies on a Mission and Murder at Apartment 999. Both rooms are child-friendly. But, some families love the scare factor, in which case, Lucila’s Curse would be ideal for them. Most of the families that tried Lucila’s Curse are those whose children are already in the high-school level or are already young adults.

*What are your future plans for MysterEscape?

We plan to change room themes by April 22, our 6th monthsary, and we hope to further expand within Davao City and in other cities in Mindanao. We also plan to give promos and rewards to our loyal customers. So, always check out our website and FB page for the latest updates of MysterEscape.

MysterEscape is open on Tuesday until Sunday from 1 pm to 10 pm. It is located at the Mezzanine floor, Adelfa Bldg., Lanang, Davao City, right across the Davao City Water District.

You may try to book online through their website, www.mysterescape.com, or email them at mysterescape1@gmail.com. They may also be reached through their FB page (MysterEscape), cellphone no. 0929 381 6611, and landline no. 2244179.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Twinkle, twinkle little toes






  







“Twinkle, twinkle little toes”
Sun.Star Davao, Jan. 16, 2016

Among the greatest blessings of having this column is meeting my dear readers and eventually becoming friends with them.

Singapore-based Aileen “T-One” Brigole-Abadilla is one such blessing. We met each other during Mom-About-Town’s 1st year anniversary contest and since then, we have kept in touch through social media.

What I admire most about T-One and her husband Christian is that although they are working overseas due to their bustling careers as LinkedIn Customer Success Manager-Southeast Asia and Oracle Senior Business Development Consultant, respectively, they still try to be hands-on parents to their two children who are in Davao.

T-One who delights in conceptualizing children’s parties; design and event styling; and music recently got her creative hands busy again with planning for her eldest daughter Jamie Ailianne’s Twinkle Toes’ 8th birthday party at Grand Men Seng Hotel.

“Jamie is such a good and natural dancer. She effortlessly dances with grace and precision, and is always placed in the front and center during each dance presentation in school. Though she’s not a ballerina, she dreams of becoming one”, reveals T-One.

Admitting to be “paranoid” when it comes to preparing for her kids’ special events, it took T-One several months to do Jamie’s DIY ballerina-themed bash.

“Pink, light pink, gold and navy blue were the predominant colors of the dainty affair. The colors were soft but with a contrast to it”, describes T-One.

“I also incorporated stars into the party, by putting gold foil star cut-outs on the cotton scattered in the middle of the table covered in navy blue satin tablecloth. This is to create an illusion of stars and clouds against a night sky. After all, whenever we hear the word “twinkle”, we usually relate it to the “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” children’s song, thus the star decors”, details the imaginative mom.

The dessert table marvelously showcased ballerina cookies shaped as ballerina slippers, tutu dresses, among others. T-One also used gold-dipped feathers as accessories to blueberry cheesecake shots. In addition, a lighted star was placed among the sweet offerings which highlighted the “twinkle” theme even further.

"Our party favors for children were Twinkle Toes party bags which we made ourselves. They were decorated with 3D cut-out ballerina paper dolls with tulle skirts, sealed with a Jamie or Ailianne sticker or a golden glitter peg. We also had personalized pink and navy blue hat boxes for all mommies to take home,”, says T-One.

During dinner, guests were enthralled with James Infiesto’s magic show which was followed by the family serenading the audience.

Like all her kids’ other parties, T-One shares that what makes the event doubly memorable is that she conceptualized and designed it herself and made into a reality with her in-house “production team” composed of her beloved family and nannies for the decors; nephews, nieces and cousins for the band and photography; and her doting mom, Mumsy Eyah, for the touching AVP.

     For the finale number, T-One lovingly performed the Disney song, “Go the Distance”, for Jamie. “I wanted to encourage her to follow her dreams”, enthuses T-One.
    
    “As I’ve shared with friends, Jamie is an extra special child, she has Turner Syndrome, which is a genetic disorder which means she lacks the second female X Chromosome. We feel extremely blessed to have her in our lives as she proves that she could go beyond herself and her condition. Despite the fact that many TS butterflies (as they’re sweetly referred to) suffer from learning disabilities, Jamie, with the help of her supportive teachers from Center for Brighter Beginnings and Davao Christian High School, has continually excelled in class, and is always considered one of the most confident, sweet and friendly kids”, T-One shares proudly.
   
      And, there is no doubt with caring parents like Christian and T-One, Jamie will unceasingly reach her highest potentials. Just you wait and see!

     Like “Pretty Little Party Davao” on Facebook and follow prettylittlepartydvo on Instagram for more photos of Jamie’s Twinkle Toes birthday bash.

     E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.



Monday, January 4, 2016

Las Noventas: The 2015 SMAD Grand Alumni Homecoming








 







“Las Noventas: The 2015 SMAD Grand Alumni Homecoming”
Sun.Star Davao, Jan. 4, 2016

T’was a spectacular night of high-rolling fun and nostalgia as we brought back the good, old high school days at the 2015 Stella Maris Academy of Davao Grand Alumni Homecoming --- Las Vegas style!

It’s been a week since the homecoming at the school’s SkyGym but my fellow silver jubilarians from SMAD Batch 1990 and I are still over the moon after ”Las Noventas” turned out to be a roaring success!

Planning the hosting of the homecoming began five years ago through the initiative of our batch president Lafayette Lim but we seriously started the ball rolling roughly six months ago. Yes, we are crammers!

But, God is good. He blessed us with the greatest team. We may be few in the working committee but everyone did their jobs wholeheartedly. When we graduated, we were only 89 in our batch and more than 30% of us are now based overseas. However, time and distance did not put a strain in our relationships. Everyone did their part in ensuring our homecoming’s success through their time, financial support and encouragement.

And, what a blessing that months before the homecoming, we came to know Arnold Alvarez and his incredible Siningtala Dance Company. They gave us the Las Vegas-themed homecoming we will forever remember complete with show girls, stilt walkers, unicyclists, cabaret dancers and singing drag divas. For the finale number, we also made history by rearranging the school hymn into a Las Vegas/Broadway beat which was wonderfully performed by SMAD Batch 2015’s Chloe Palar, the 2015 Ateneo StarSearch champion.

After the grand production number, the audience was enthralled once more with the mind-blowing performance of Davao’s very own human beatbox, Neill Llanes, Talentadong Pinoy grand champion and Asia’s Got Talent finalist.

That night, we likewise paid tribute to our former sisters, teachers, administration and maintenance staff who graced us with their presence. We are who we are today because of their guidance, patience and love.

Exciting surprise give-aways kept the alumni and guests glued to their seats until the end of the program. The prizes included a round-trip ticket for two, Manila-Hong Kong-Manila, via Cathay Pacific; Samsung 40” LED TV Full HD; Samsung 24” LED TV; Samsung Tab 3V; De Luxe Room Accommodation at Seda Hotel; VMV Hypoallergenics beauty packs; Panasonic washing machine, and many more!

Rewards were also bequeathed to the batches with the most number of attendees and best photo entries on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag: #SMADhomecoming2015.

The 2015 SMAD Grand Alumni Homecoming was made possible by NCCC, Phoenix Petroleum, VMV Hypoallergenics, HR Team Ware, Davies Paints, Marina Tuna, Kuilan’s Food Haus, Malagos Garden Resort, TriConstruction Ventures, Corp., Lamb of God, Boysen Paints, Ford Davao, Unilever Phils., P & G Dist., Colgate Palmolive, Tanduay, Hermintan, Coca-Cola Femsa Phil., Inc., URC-CFC, Century Pacific Food, Inc., and Puyod Farms.

On behalf of SMAD Batch 1990, we wish to thank everyone who made our dream homecoming a reality. A special shoutout to SMAD directress Patricia Aragon, F.I.; SMAD Batch ‘89’s Dr. Jett Lu; Stella Maris Academy of Davao Alumni Foundation, Inc. headed by president Lynnette Lasala; Ms. Annabel Palarca; presentors and sponsors; as well as fellow alumni, guests, SMAD teachers/staff, and friends who contributed to the homecoming’s overwhelming success!

To God be the glory!

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.